by GentleButFirm

Nalirra was one of the third generation of the incredibly long lived People. Her tribe were the twenty specialists who ran the Ship, kept it maintained and liveable, and cared for the valuable cargo of non-gens, frozen original human specimens intended to build a new humanity when the ship completed its incomprehensibly lengthy voyage.

The People had been carefully designed for their task, engineered to provide the necessary expertise and skill, and to live happily in an environment that could be difficult, especially from a psychological viewpoint. Nalirra and all the rest of the tribe were human, but not to the original spec.

At first glance, most non-gens would have been struck by a couple of differences. Firstly, her entire body was devoid of external hair. Her head, eyebrows, armpits, and groin were missing the expected substantial growth, and the rest of her skin was without the fine covering that would normally be present. Secondly, this first difference would be very apparent because the People did not wear clothing. Ever. The constant temperature and humidity in the ship made both of these coverings unnecessary, and hair was a major maintenance issue in such a finely tuned long-term machine.

There was another physical difference which would become apparent if you looked for a moment. The People had tails. Long thin prehensile tools, equipped with the musculature necessary to allow them to lift themselves from the floor where necessary. The tail was equipped with a sensory organ on its tip, able to perceive fluctuations in light, heat and magnetic fields.

Glad to have completed her tasks for the day, Nalirra collapsed onto the bed, physically worn, mentally washed out, but definitely not sleepy.

Over the many years of the voyage, the People had developed an unwritten code for their social interactions. Part of this code dictated that beds in one part of the quarters nearest the engine of the ship, and arbitrarily named the South Nest, was set aside for those who wished to sleep quietly, and generally alone. The North Nest, a smaller area opposite was designated as a cosy social area. Not much sleeping happened there. At least not until very late.

Nalirra was in North Nest. She wasn't much in favour of sleeping alone, and a day of physical activity just meant she needed a little rest before the fun began. The people didn't use blankets either, a combination of the controlled environment, and superb engineering of the entire tribe, and she simply curled up on the soft platform, lying on her side with her tail behind her, along the line of her spine, and curled over her shoulder. The tip rested comfortably between her breasts. Within a minute she was sound asleep, and the next hour drifted by without her noticing.

Eventually, other members of the tribe drifted into the Nest, either before or after eating, depending on their priorities, and Nalirra woke as one of the men approached her.

Looking around, she saw there was a couple to her left, hetero, and with a flick of her head, another to the right. Nalirra liked to spend time with both men and women, but she mostly liked to go with the trend. The buzz was better. She beckoned to the man standing politely before her, realising now that it was Bortal, a good friend. Nalirra moved over on the platform, allowing him to lie easily in front of her, their bodies facing together, their faces near to one another.

"Nice nap Nalirra?"

"Not bad Bortal. You're not quite the worst way to wake."

"Just as well. I had another couple of offers, but you looked delicious lying there."

"Less talking Bortal. I need a kiss."

"You're not the only one. Looks like we need to catch up to Leesa and Garnout."

As they snuggled more closely together, their mouths met, and the embrace of their tongues cemented their willingness to merge their bodies more thoroughly.

After some time spent caressing one another's bodies, Nalirra tipped Bortal over onto his back, and lay down gently on top of him, her breasts pressing into his firmly muscled chest, her thighs avoiding his erection for the moment. Returning her mouth to his, they resumed the discussion their tongues were having.

The people weren't psychic, but they were something similar. An unexpected side effect of the engineering miracle that produced the tribe was an undocumented and unexplainable empathy for each other. In a sexual situation, this resulted in the ability to feel the excitement experienced by others nearby, and to pass on the arousal to partners and others. Frequently, groups of partners found themselves synchronising their movements and positions, thereby increasing the excitement felt. Orgasm was invariably a mutual, simultaneous thundersmack of release.

Looking around as best she could with her mouth attached to Bortal's, Nalirra could see her counterparts on the other two beds were also atop their partners, and also concentrating on oral communication without speaking.

As she reluctantly removed her mouth from that of her partner, Nalirra moved slowly down the bed, kissing his chin, neck, chest. On either side of her, the movements were repeated. Someone always took the lead in these group encounters, and Nalirra was frequently the instigator. Tonight she was definitely in charge.